Clytostoma callistegioides (Lavender Trumpet Vine) - An evergreen vine that grows moderately fast to 15 to 20 feet tall by as wide, climbing up on or clambering over anything that will support it with a dense foliage cover. It has an interesting leaf structure with two paired leathery bright glossy green 3 inch long by 1 1/2 inch long leaves on either side of a long slender tendril that drops off if not clinging to something and new flushes of foliage are an attractive bronze color. The 3 inch wide trumpet-shaped lavender flowers have intricate darker purple veins and appear in pairs. It is in heavy bloom in mid to late spring and then off and on in late spring through fall and sometimes (rarely in our area) are followed by an interesting spiny elongated fruit. Plant in full sun to part shade and water moderately to occasionally - is surprisingly drought tolerant once established for such a lush looking plant. Tolerant of heavy soils and has proven hardy at our nursery down to 18 degrees F at least for short durations as it did in our December 1990 freeze - others tell us of it being hardy even a bit lower with the possibility of going deciduous in temperatures much below 20 degrees F will root hardiness to 10 degrees F - it listed by some as being plantable in a protected spot in USDA Zone 8. A great plant for covering a chain link fence, for training along a wall, overhead arbor or porch and also useful as a bank covering groundcover. It is attractive year-round but especially when the plant erupts into bloom. It is both beautiful and attractive to pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. We have a 15 feet by 9 feet office wall in the nursery which is totally and thickly covered by two plants and in retrospect, we could have just planted one! This vine is native to Argentina and the southern Brazil. The name for the genus is from the Greek words 'Klytos' meaning "beautiful" and 'stoma' meaning "mouth" in reference to the beautiful open moth shaped flowers. The specific epithet is in reference to this vines similarity to Calystegia, a fast growing vine in the Morning Glory Family, Convolvulaceae. Other common names for this beautiful vine are Chamisso, Painted Trumpet and Argentine Trumpet Vine. The Plant List, the collaboration between The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Missouri Botanic Gardens lists the current name of this plants as Bignonia callistegioides but we continue to list it as Clytostoma callistegioides until such time that this name gets broader usage. This plant has long been cultivated in California; Harry Butterfield in his "Dates of Introduction of Trees and Shrubs to California" (Landscape Horticulture University of California, Davis 1964) listed the plant as being introduced into California in 1908 by the Italian botanist Emanuele Orazio Fenzi, better known under his assumed name Dr. Francesco Franceschi however in the writings of Peter Riedel, Franceschi's partner in the California Acclimatizing Association, he noted that Franceschi observed this plant growing in Santa Barbara when he surveyed the plants of the city in 1895 but Riedel also listed it as a Franceschi introduction in 1900 so its date of introduction is not entirely clear - we have grown this deservingly popular plant since our nurseries inception in 1979.
This description is based on our research and observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery, in the nursery garden and in other gardens that we have visited. We will also incorporate comments received from others and always appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have some additional information about this plant, in particular if this information is contrary to what we have written or if they have additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing Clytostoma callistegioides.